1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a machine for discharging padding dirt into a ditch to line the bottom of the ditch with padding dirt so that the pipeline may be placed thereon after which additional padding material may be placed on top of the pipeline to protect the pipeline from rocks and the like which may exist in the bottom or walls of the ditch and which may exist in conventional backfill dirt with the machine being attached to a bulldozer or similar vehicle and including an endless belt conveyor having a head pulley positionable alongside the open upper end of the ditch so that padding dirt or the padding material may be discharged into the ditch prior to laying the pipeline and also subsequent to laying the pipeline with the belt conveyor forming the bottom of a trough or chute which receives padding dirt from a dump truck or similar vehicle moving alongside of the ditch along with the bulldozer to which the padding machine is attached.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Padding machines have been previously used to place padding material such as clean fill dirt or the like into a ditch to provide a padding for a pipeline and also to cover the pipeline with a layer of padding material but such devices are relatively complicated and expensive when provided as a separate piece of equipment. The following U.S. patents are relevant to padding machines of this type:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,168--June 8, 1971 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,384--Aug. 3, 1971 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,089--Sept. 21, 1976 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,910--Nov. 24, 1981 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,365--Mar. 22, 1983